Automatic musical instrument.



C. F. STODDARD. AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION man MAR. 5. 1913. RENEWED JULY s. 1916.

1,262,278. Patented Apr. 9. 1918.

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AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed March 5, 1913, Serial No. 752,126. Renewed July 6, 1916. Serial No. 107,880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. Sroonann, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to apparatus for automatically operating a section or sections of a piano hammer rail. Among other objects, the invention is intended to be applied to different sections or parts of a hammerrail, preferably a flexible rail, in order to controlthe advance and retreat of the rail sections to produce crescendo and diminuendo effects at different parts of the action.

One practicable embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates diagrammat cally a hammer, a part of a rail and exemplary apparatus for controlling the same; Fig. 2 represents a plan view of a practicable form of flexible hammer rail, having applied to it three of the sets of apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a perforated note sheet such as may be used for controlling the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to Fig. 1, a conventional hammer 1 and hammer butt 2 are shown. together with the accompanying rail 3. The rail 3 there illustrated may be of any practicable type; for example, it may be an entire rail. but it is preferably one of the parts of a flexible rail. This rail 3 is carried upon a depending arm 4 pivoted in any practicable manner upon a pin 5. The arm 4 carries a segmental ratchet 6, provided with two sets of teeth oppositelv disposed on opposite sides of the arm 41-. The rail 3, arm 4. and ratchet 6 are supported upon the pin 5 independently of the bellows next to be described.

This bellows operates alternatively two pawls which cotiperate respectively with the two sets of teeth upon the ratchet 6.

A bellows 8 is connected by an appropriate duct with the chamber 9. containing a double-acting valve 10 which admits to the chamber either atmosphere or exhaust from the chamber ll The valve 10 is controlled by the diaphragm of a chamber 12 connected by a duct 18 with a tracker vent 14; thus when the vent 1 1 is opened the exhaust in the chamber 11 is thrown into communication with the bellows 8 and the latter is thereby collapsed against the pull of its spring 15.

A second bellows 16 is similarly connected by a duct with the chamber 17 containing a double-acting valve 18 controlled by the diaphragm of a chamber 19 which has a duct 20 leading to a tracker vent 21. Thus, when the vent 21 is opened exhaust from the chamber 11 is admitted to the bellows 16, and the latter is thereby collapsed against the pull of its spring 22.

In the specific illustrated construction, the bellows 8 and 16 have a common stationary board between them and have upon the r outer sides, respectively, the movable boards 23 and 24.

lVhen the ducts 141 and 21 are both closed (atmosphere being thereby admitted to both the bellows 8 and 16) the two springs 15 and 22 hold the movable boards in the position indicated in Fig. 1. The movable board 23 carries an arm 26 upon which is supported a spring-pressed pawl 27 adapted to engage with the right-hand set of teeth upon the ratchet plate 6. lVhen the bellows 8 is held in expanded position by its spring 15 the pawl-carrying arm 26 is held against a stop 29 which serves the double purpose of limiting the opening travel of the bellows, and also to hold the pawl spaced somewhat from its corresponding ratchet teeth. The pawl is normally spring-pressed toward the ratchet teeth but is provided with a shoulder which contacts with the stop 29 which rocks it against its spring to prevent engagement between the pawl and ratchet until the bellows 8 is to some extent collapsed to remove the pawl shoulder from the stop 29 and permit the pawl spring to throw the toe of the pawl toward the ratchet teeth.

Similarly the movable board Act the bellows 16 has a pawl-carrying arm 31 carrying a pawl 92 that arm being held normally against a stop 33 which likewise serves to hold the pawl 32 out of engagement with its corresponding left-hand set of ratchet teeth until the bellows 16 has collapsed to some extent to said teeth.

A sto 35 placed in the path ofthe pawlpermit the pawl to engage carrying arm 26 limits the collapse of the bellows 8 and the clockwise movement of the arm and pawl. Similarly, a stop'36 limits the collapse of the bellows 1'6 and the contraelockwise movement of the arm 31 and pawl 32.

In order to prevent undesired movement of the arm t and rail 3, and also to hold the parts in desired adjust-able position until they are intentionally moved therefrom, any suitable brake or stop -means may be employed, as, for instance, a brake surface 38 positioned close to a side of the arm 4 against which side arm 4: frictions with sufficient pressure to resist any movement of the parts except that imposed by the operation of the bellows, as presently described.

It will be noted that each of the pawl-carrying arms 26 and 31 has its oscillation limited in one direction by a stop 35 or 36, and in the other direction by a stop 29 or 33. Preferably, the travel of each pawl arm between these limits is substantially equal in length to the pitch of one of the ratchet teeth on the ratchet plate 6.

lVith the arrangement described above,

the opening of the tracker vent 14, even for a very brief moment, has the effect of admitting exhaust to the bellows 8 and causing the same to collapse until the parts are arrested by the stop 35. During this collapsing movement the first effect is the departure of the pawl 27 from engagement with the stop 29 which permits the pawl to be rocked by its spring into position to engage a ratchet tooth. This engagement having been effected the further collapse of the bellows 8 moves the pawl arm 26, the pawl 27 the ratchet plate 6, arm 4 and rail 3 a certain distance (substantially equal to the pitch of the ratchet teeth) in a clockwise direction, thereby permitting the hammers to move farther away from their strings. A second collapse of the bellows 8 repeats this operation and moves the rail 3 another step toward the left. These operations may be repeated to produce any practicable number of steps in the movement of the rail 3.

' The bellows 16 and pawl 32 operate in a similar manner, but obviously to move the ratchet 6, arm 4 and rail 3 toward the right or in a contra-clockwise direction. Having been moved in one direction or the other by the operation of one, or differential operations of both bellows 8 and 16the parts will then be held in position by the frictional engagement between the brake 38 and arm 4, or by such other arrangement as may be employed for the purpose.

The respective pawl-driving operations of the bellows 8 and 16 may be produced in either comparatively slow or comparatively rapid succession, according to the frequency of successive openings and closings of the tracker vents 1401- 21. For instance, it the row of perforations in the note sheet controlling the vent 14 contains a series of perforations spaced close to ether, then the pawl 27 will be caused to malre a rapid succession of reciprocations between its two stop for rapidly retreating the hammer rail. The movement of the rail 3 in a clockwise direction may be limited by a stop 40 against which the left-hand end of the ratchet plate 6 may strike; and the opposite movement of the rail3 may be limited by a stopMfor the other end of the ratchet plate 6. The respective operations of the pawls 27 and 32 may be interspersed in any desired manner in order to advance and retreat the rail 3 in any desired sequence. Obviously, the particular number of ratchet teeth shown in the drawings is non-essential and any practicable number may be employed.

'Fig. 3 illustrates upon a fragment of a note sheet two rows of perforations for controlling the tracker vents 14 and 21, respectively, the effect of these perforations being indicated diagrammatically by a plotted line in said Fig. 3. The row of perforations 50 controls the tracker vent 1t, and the row 51 controls the tracker vent 21. The note sheet is assumed to be traveling in the direction of the arrow 52. The base line 53 upon which the plotted crescendo and diminuendo line are founded is assumed to represent the position of nearest approach of the rail 3 and han'imers controlled thereby to the piano strings, in which position of the parts the playing is pianissimo. For convenience, therefore, the line maybe called the pi anissimo line. The other line 5% is assumed to illustrate the position of greatest retreat of the rail 3 and the hammer from the strings, in which position of the parts the playing would be fortissimo so far as con-- cerns the control of intensity by the position of the rail. This line 5 1 may therefore be called the fortissimo line.

In the illustrative note sheet with the start of the playing the parts will be assumed to be in their position of nearest approach to the strings, whereupon the 02- cnrrence of the single perforation will have the effect of collapsing the bellows 8 and moving the rail 3 one step toward the left, thereby increasing the playing intensity to the extent of one grade or level indicated by the line 56. The following perforation 5'7 thereupon collapses the neumatic 16 and returns the parts toward the right, and diminishes the intensity through one step as indicated by the line 58. A series of perforations 59 following each other in comparatively rapid succession have the effect of oscillating the pawl 27 four times to drive the rail 3 through four steps toward the left in Fig. 1, thereby increasing the intensity through four grades or levels, as indicated by the lines 60', 61, 69 and 63.

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The next perforation 64, as will be readily understood, decreases the intensity through one step, as indicated by the line 65; another perforation 66 decreases the intensity through another step, as indicated by the line 67; a perforation 68 decreases the intensity through another step, as indicated by the line 69; and the final perforation 70 decreases theintensity through another step, as indicated by the line 71.

IVith' such an arrangement as that described, the playing intensity is slightly increased by the perforation 55, and then is restored to its former level by the perforation 57 Following this there is a comparatively rapid crescendo from pianissimo to fortissimo, caused by the group 59 of four perforations. comparatively sloW diminuendo, caused by the perforations 6st, 66 and 68, and terminating in a more rapid diminuendo caused by the perforation 70.

The foregoing will suffice to explain to those skilled in the art the various arrangements of perforations by which a multitude of desired effects may be produced.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction, organization and mode of operation, which have been described above merely for illustration.

Claims:

1. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a sectional hammer-rail; automatic means for each of a plurality of sections for moving the same; a tracker; and means connected with the tracker for controlling said automatic means respectively.

2. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a plurality of hammerrail sections; means flexibly connecting one section with another; and a plurality of antomatic operating means for moving said rail; a: tracker, and means connected with said tracker for controlling said operating means.

3. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a flexible hammer-rail; automatic means for differently moving different parts of said rail; a tracker, and means connected with the tracker for con trolling said automatic means.

4. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with a series of hammers, of automatic means for shifting the position of rest thereof, whereby the length of stroke of the successive hammers varies from end to end of said series; a tracker;

And this is followed by a and means connected with the tracker for controlling said automatic means.

5. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with a series of hammers, of pneumatic means for shifting by predetermined increments the position of rest thereof, whereby the length of stroke of the successive hammers varies from end to end of said series.

6. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with a series of hammers, of means for shifting by predetermined increments the position of rest thereof, whereby the length of stroke of the successive hammers varies from end to end of said -series; a tracker; and means connected with the tracker for controlling said shifting means.

7. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a flexible hammer-rail; a plurality of ratchet means connected to said hammer-rail; pneumatic means for operating said ratchet means to differently move different parts of said rail; and means for controlling said pneumatic means.

8. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a flexible hammer-rail; a plurality of ratchet means connected to said hammer-rail; pneumatic means for operating said ratchet means; a tracker; and means connected with the tracker for controlling said pneumatic means.

9. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a flexible hammer-rail; a plurality of pneumatic means for diflerently moving different parts of said rail step by step in one direction; a plurality of pneumatic means for differently moving different parts of said rail step by step in the opposite direction; and means for controlling said pneumatic means.

10. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a flexible hammer-rail; a plurality of pneumatic means for diflerently moving difierent parts of said rail step by step in one direction; a plurality of pneumatic means for difi'erently moving different parts of said rail step by step in the opposite direction; a tracker; and means connected with the tracker for controlling said pneumatic means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. STODDARD.

\Vitnesses: FRANcIs H. B. BYRNE, WILLIAM A. RABENsTEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents,

Washington, D. 0. 

